Heinous Orca – “Wishing Well” / “Quick Draw” [Debut]

Back in September, we played Heinous Orca‘s “Jared” on Volume 163 of the WOTT Music podcast. We liked it so much, we put the band on the cover of the episode. When the band started teasing at a music video in the works, our interest was beyond piqued. That being said, we’re overjoyed to debut two new videos from the band for “Wishing Well” and “Quick Draw,” part of a set of several singles co-produced by Ryan Hewitt and Joe Pisapia.

The videos, directed by the fine folks at AM?PM video, are meant to be watched as a pair. While there’s certainly continuity between the two, the plot reads like a David Lynch fever dream – the band, drenched and clad in black, is kidnapped from their practice space, bound and gagged in transport to a lake where they’re baptized, reborn in all white outfits after performing underwater and then casually sign a deal with a record exec devil inside of a stretch limousine. Oh, and a man is being tortured with various clamps and nail polish before transforming into a pig creature while the band embraces their new enlightened form. It may sound nonsensical but it’s a spellbinding journey, made all the more enjoyable by the accompanying songs.

The band has managed to find an impressive balance between two worlds; the casually DIY and lock-tight production. The performances on these tracks are captivating with their dual lead vocals, sinister guitar work and driving drums but there’s something about them that eschews the pristine. These don’t feel like tracks that were pored over to remove all imperfections. Co-producers Ryan Hewitt and Joe Pisapia have a discography of works that includes Red Hot Chili Peppers, Third Eye Blind, Guster and Kacey Musgraves to name but a few. The fact that Heinous Orca can enter the studio with that duo and come out the other side with something that sounds decidedly, uniquely, like Heinous Orca is a testament to the band and the producer’s skills to recognize that talent.

Heinous Orca have been performing around Nashville since 2012 but this pair of videos feels like their official unveiling. They exemplify the band’s uniqueness and penchant for mixing up worlds; a dash of the occult with a dose of torture and a pinch of psychedelic underwater performance. The songs sound like the result of a band bonded through their time together, emerging from their own, proverbial, baptismal lake with a sound that is uniquely their own and refreshingly fun.

Once you’re done immersing yourself in these two tracks, hit up your streaming platform of choice to hear “Mighty Mike” and “She Pony” – the additional songs recorded during the Hewitt / Pisapia sessions.